Shelters, Food Banks Need More Donations, Volunteers

Groups like the Raleigh Rescue Mission which serve meals to people in need say donations are way down this summer, and the need is way up.

Traditionally, donations go way up during the holidays, but non-profit groups say hunger knows no season.

"The need is growing everywhere. The gap between the have and the have-nots is spreading every day," says Jill Bullard of the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle. "I don't know how we're going to keep up with the need."

Last year, the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle collected 2.6 million pounds of food, but they say it is still not enough to meet the need.

The Food Bank of North Carolina will be moving into a bigger space in Durham and closer to the agencies it serves.

The old Southern States building on Gilbert Street has 25,000 square feet, three-and-a-half times larger than the Food Bank's current spot on Ramseur Street.

In the past year, the warehouse delivered 1.6 million pounds of food and discovered the need for more space. Moving into the larger space will take time and a lot of work.

"The building hasn't been used in probably 10 years. It needs some roof repair, needs exterior touch-up and needs a lot of work inside," says the Rev. Haywood Holderness, president of the board of directors at the Food Bank of North Carolina.

Holderness expects to be moving their Durham operation into the new place by the end of the year.